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M3ZS   SHERMAN'S  CAMPAIGN  IN  THE  CAROLINAS  . 

Maj .H.O.Marcy 
in 
Civil  War  Paper  s,Commandery  of  Mass. 
Vol. 2,1900 


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SHERMAN'S  CAMPAIGN   IN   THE 
CAROLINAS 


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SHERMAN'S    CAMPAIGN    IN  THE   CAROLINAS 

BY 

MAJOR    HENRY    O.  MARCY,  SURGEON,  U.  S.C.T. 

December,  1864,  was  a  busy  month  in  the  Department  of 
the  South.  All  the  available  troops  had  been  sent  up  the 
Broad  River,  where,  after  some  sharp  fighting,  they  had  secured 
a  safe  lodgment  and  intrenched  themselves  upon  the  Charleston 
and  Savannah  Railroad,  to  furnish  a  base  of  support  to  General 
Sherman,  should  he  seek  to  reach  the  coast  between  Charleston 
and  Savannah.  Vast  quantities  of  military  stores  had  been 
accumulated  at  Hilton  Head,  and  all  were  in  daily  expectancy 
of  news  from  the  army  marching  through  Georgia. 

Long  shall  I  remember  the  morning  when  a  courier  rode 
rapidly  to  headquarters  with  the  despatch  :  "  Sherman  is  safe, 
—  Savannah  is  ours  !  "  It  thrilled  through  the  ranks  like  elec- 
tric fire.  Cheer  after  cheer  rang  out  along  the  lines  as  the 
news  spread  from  camp  to  camp.  In  a  wild  commotion  of  joy, 
in  common  with  a  grateful  people,  as  the  lightning  flashed  the 
news  all  over  the  North,  our  hearts  went  up  in  thanksgiving 
for  Sherman's  Christmas  greeting  and  present  to  his  country. 

Weeks  rapidly  sped  away  in  preparation  for  the  coming 
campaign.  Our  vast  stores  were  depleted,  and  the  army  re- 
fitted anew.  The  men  became  restive  in  their  desire  to  begin 
their  promised  and  dearly  cherished  work  of  teaching  South 
Carolina  a  lesson  of  war,  and  of  testing  the  prowess  of  her 
vaunted  chivalry. 

The  Seventeenth  Corps  was  transferred  by  water  to  Beau- 
fort, a  pleasing  little  town  of  summer  residences,  which  for  two 
years  had  been  civilized  by  the  occupation  of  our  armies.     The 

331 


332  CIVIL   WAR   PAPERS 

corps  was    quartered  in   the   immediate  vicinity  of    the  town. 
The  morning  after  its  entrance  the  inhabitants  were  surprised 
to  find  their  friends  had   quietly   taken  possession  of   almost 
everything  of  value.     Houses  no  longer  possessed  back  or  front 
yards,  for  our  veterans  did  not  scruple  to  use  wood,  even  fences, 
when  they  found  themselves  in  the  vicinity  of  dry  fuel.    Poultry 
was  missing,  storehouses  were  empty,  barns  had  been  ransacked, 
etc.     Although  painful  to  the  victims,  many  of  these  incidents 
were  of  too  ludicrous  a  character  to  cause  them  loss  of  temper. 
A    friend    of    mine    from    near    Boston    was  an  officer  in    the 
Internal  Revenue  Department,  and  was  called  "Colonel"  out 
of  respect.     All  who  knew  him  loved    him  as  a  whole-souled 
fellow  with  a  heart  as  tender  to  suffering  as  a  woman's  ;  yet  he 
was  fully  impressed  with  the  importance  of  his  position  under 
the  government,  which  military  men,  to  some  degree  under  his 
surveillance,  liked  to  ignore.    He  was  impetuous,  easily  angered, 
and  at  first  impressed  one  unpleasantly,  and,  as  a  consequence, 
was  by  no  means  a  general  favorite.      He  was  unfortunate  at 
this  time   in  occupying  a  house  in  Beaufort,  and  in  having  it 
well  stored  with  good  things  from  Boston  ;    perhaps  in    these 
days  it  will  not  be  to  the  colonel's  discredit  to  tell  that  among 
other  luxuries  there  was  a  barrel  of  sherry  in  the  cellar,  while 
in   the   yard,    when  he   retired   that   night,  was  a  coop   full   of 
turkeys   which   had   survived    the   holidays.     More   than   usual 
noise    aroused    our    worthy    colonel    upon    the    aforementioned 
morning,  and,  proceeding  to  investigate  the  cause  of  the  disturb- 
ance, his  eye  rested  upon  the  empty  coop  of  his  favorite  fowls, 
and  at  the  same  moment  fell  upon  a  soldier,  sitting  on  a  fence- 
post,  busy  in  making  his  breakfast  of  broiled  turkey.     As  the 
idea  of  this  outrage  to  justice,  visited  upon  an  officer  of  the 
law,  seized  the  colonel,  he  eagerly  exclaimed  :  "  You  scoundrel, 
where  are  my  turkeys  ?  "     The  veteran  deigned  no  reply,  but 
with  a  gesture  more  emphatic  than  words,  held  up  the  leg  of 
the  bird  and  pointed  to  the  feathers  strewing  the  ground.     We 
make  no  attempt   to  paint   the   colonel's   indignation,   and  his 


SHERMAN'S    CAMPAIGN    IN    THE    CAROLINAS         333 

emphatic  language  when  he  found  that  his  six  months'  supply 
of  good  cheer,  including  his  wine,  had  disappeared  from  his 
cellar  as  mysteriously  as  his  turkeys  and  his  fences. 

The  sutlers  had  prepared  to  welcome  the  veterans  with  a 
large  stock  of  northern  delicacies,  held  at  prices  which  only 
a  sutler's  conscience  dared  to  impose,  but  they  breathed  a  sigh 
of  relief  when  the  good-natured  vandals  marched  out  of  town. 
When  an  account  of  stock  was  taken  and  compared  with  the 
amount  of  money  received,  they  found  a  large  balance  to  be 
placed  to  the  debit  side  of  profit  and  loss.  The  soldiers'  excuse 
was  that  they  had  been  promised  liberty  and  license  when  on 
the  soil  of  Carolina,  and  was  not  Beaufort  within  the  limits  of 
this  state  ? 

Kilpatrick  and  his  cavalry,  with  the  Fourteenth  and  Twen- 
tieth Corps,  ploughed  slowly  through  the  overflowed  lowlands 
and  crossed  the  Savannah  River  at  Sister's  Ferry,  while  the  Fif- 
teenth and  Seventeenth  Corps  broke  the  enemy's  line  at  Poco- 
taligo,  a  few  miles  to  the  right  of  our  winter  quarters,  and  there 
rendezvoused  for  the  final  start.  Here  our  division  joined,  and 
relieved  these  veterans  of  all  extra  duty,  busied  as  they  were 
with  all  the  detail  of  final  preparation  for  the  repetition  of  their 
herculean  efforts. 

As  before,  General  Sherman  again  succeeded  in  mystifying 
the  enemy  as  to  his  future  course.  Although  he  had  just 
severed  the  Confederacy  in  twain,  they  did  not  deem  it  possible 
for  him  again  to  cut  loose  from  his  base  and  plunge  boldly  into 
their  country,  but  fondly  hoped  he  would  follow  the  old  routine, 
fighting  upon  the  line  of  the  coast,  where  they  believed  that 
they,  aided  by  the  immense  natural  and  artificial  defences  of  the 
country,  might  detain  him.  They  supposed  the  city  of  Charles- 
ton to  be  his  objective  point.  Many  of  her  citizens  had  sent 
their  valuables,  and  had  fled  themselves  in  consternation  to  the 
interior,  chiefly  to  Columbia. 

The  last  day  of  January  saw  the  busy  work  of  preparation 
cease.     The  grand  army  was  ready  for   its    last   and  greatest 


334  CIVIL   WAR   PAPERS 

campaign.  General  Sherman,  now  free  from  the  constant  anx- 
ieties attending  the  outfitting  and  supplying,  took  a  day  for  rest. 

I  have  pleasant  remembrances  of  an  hour  spent  in  his  pres- 
ence that  day.  He  told  us  that  the  road  to  Charleston  by  way 
of  Columbia  was  the  easiest  to  travel,  and  said  that  he  expected 
by  this  movement  to  mystify  the  enemy.  He  talked  freely  and 
easily,  and  was  in  this  respect  the  very  opposite  of  General 
Grant,  making  all  about  him  feel  perfectly  at  ease.  His  clear 
eye  and  thoughtful  expression  taught  us  that  he  was  master  of 
the  situation,  but  there  was  a  depth  of  meaning  in  his  semi- 
playful  words  that  we  did  not  then  comprehend. 

The  first  day  of  February  opened  as  fair  and  bright  and 
beautiful  as  a  May  morning  in  New  England.  Many  brave 
hearts  swelled  with  hope,  and,  may  I  say,  trembled  with  fear,  as 
again  they  cut  loose  from  all  communications.  A  large  army 
with  Johnston,  the  wisest  of  rebel  leaders,  at  its  head,  con- 
fronted them.  There  were  swamps  and  marshes  to  cross,  rivers 
to  bridge,  battles  to  fight,  an  enemy  to  conquer,  a  confederacy 
to  annihilate,  before  again  father  or  mother,  brother  or  sister, 
wife  or  children,  could  know  of  their  fate,  and  who  could  say 
that  he  might  not  be  numbered  with  those  who  would  fall  by  the 
wayside,  and  that  his  requiem  would  not  be  sung  by  the  winds 
as  they  waved  the  tall  reeds  and  wild  grasses  growing  over  a 
nameless  and  forgotten  grave  ? 

The  order  of  march  was  issued  the  preceding  night.  At 
three  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  camp  fires  were  burning  dimly, 
giving  only  here  and  there  a  flickering  glow,  and  all  was  so 
silent  that  it  seemed  difficult  to  believe  oneself  in  presence 
of  a  large  army.  Suddenly  from  headquarters  a  bugle  sounded 
the  reveille.  Another  and  another  caught  up  the  strain  and 
echoed  and  re-echoed  the  call.  The  beating  of  drums  every- 
where struck  upon  unwilling  ears,  dispelling  all  thought  of  peace 
and  quiet,  as  they  aroused  the  veterans  of  Sherman  for  their 
last  campaign.  Breakfast  around  the  camp  fires  followed. 
Then  the  bugles  rang  out  again,  and  soon  the  long  lines  of  men 


SHERMAN'S   CAMPAIGN   IN   THE   CAROLINAS        335 

and  trains  stretched  out  over  the  thinly-settled,  pine-clad  low- 
lands.    The  march  through  the  Carolinas  had  commenced. 

The  advance  struck  the  enemy  near  Midway  on  the  Edisto 
River,  some  distance  above  Branchville.  As  General  Sherman 
had  predicted,  the  Confederates  were  not  looking  for  him  here, 
but  had  made  great  effort  at  preparing  defences  at  the  last  men- 
tioned place.  The  advance  was  gallantly  made  through  swamps, 
now  floundering  in  the  mud,  now  scrambling  over  prostrate 
trees,  now  waist  deep  in  water ;  at  last  our  men  emerged  in 
sight  of  the  enemy's  works. 

A  steady,  unfaltering  step,  the  hurrahs  ring  along  the  line, 
and  the  rapid  discharge  of  repeating  rifles  drive  the  demoralized 
enemy  from  works  which,  stubbornly  held,  should  have  cost  us 
dearly.  Pursuit  was  kept  up,  until  the  wayside  was  lined  with 
muskets,  haversacks,  canteens,  etc.,  cast  away  in  rapid  flight. 
One  hundred  of  our  men  were  killed  and  wounded.  A  gallant 
Ohio  colonel  who  came  under  my  care  severely  wounded, 
mourned  the  death  of  his  favorite  horse  more  than  the  loss  of 
his  leg.  This  horse  had  been  taken  from  the  old  home,  had 
carried  him  gallantly  through  Kentucky,  over  the  mountains  of 
Tennessee,  was  foremost  in  the  fight  when  his  command  cap- 
tured Atlanta,  and  had  borne  him  triumphantly  through  Georgia. 
In  the  delirium  that  ensued  four  days  after  the  amputation  of 
the  leg,  as  I  sent  him  to  the  rear,  he  exclaimed  to  me :  "  The 
sacrifice  of  a  leg  is  accounted  as  simply  a  part  of  a  soldier's  mis- 
fortune, but,  Oh,  doctor,  the  death  of  that  horse  is  an  irrepar- 
able loss  !  I  had  thought  that  my  children  yet  unborn  should 
fondle  the  dear  creature,  and  that  unvexed  with  bridle  or  rein 
he  should  pass  his  declining  years  in  the  peaceful  quiet  of  the 
old  Ohio  home." 

I  had  often  regretted  that  the  name  of  this  valiant  soldier 
should  have  escaped  my  memory,  but  I  had  supposed  that  the 
sands  of  the  coast  received  the  remains  of  another  of  our  gallant 
young  men,  sacrificed  on  the  altar  of  our  country.  About  eight 
years  ago,  while  travelling  east  from  Vancouver  over  the  Cana- 


336  CIVIL  WAR   PAPERS 

dian  Pacific  Railway,  in  passing  through  the  car,  I  noticed  a 
gentleman  wearing  the  button  of  our  Commandery.  Seeing  the 
insignia  upon  my  coat,  he  said  :  "  I  permit  no  comrade  of  the 
Loyal  Legion  to  pass  without  recognition."  It  was  General 
Wager  Swayne  of  New  York  City,  well  known  for  his  heroic 
services  during  the  war,  and  his  equally  distinguished  career  in 
civil  life.  He  had  just  returned  from  Alaska,  having  made  the 
excursion  in  company  with  General  Sherman,  and  very  naturally 
the  conversation  turned  upon  personal  incidents  relating  to  the 
great  commander.  I  had  told  of  General  Sherman  showing  me 
some  of  his  favorite  horses,  of  which  he  was  very  fond,  particu- 
larly of  one  fine,  thorough-bred  mare  which  he  said  Kilpatrick 
gave  him,  remarking  playfully  that  "Kil  stole  him  up  in  Georgia.' 
Thus  the  conversation  turned  upon  the  fondness  which  the  sol- 
dier has  for  his  steed,  and  I  recited  the  story  just  told  of  the  love 
which  the  Ohio  colonel,  wounded,  as  I  thought,  fatally,  had 
shown  for  his  favorite  horse.  When  I  finished,  tears  were 
coursing  down  the  cheeks  of  my  hearer,  and  in  a  husky  voice  he 
said,  placing  my  hand  upon  his  artificial  limb  :  "  I  am  sorry  to 
have  spoiled  the  diagnosis  of  such  a  famous  surgeon,  but  I  am 
that  young  Ohio  colonel,  and  am  glad  to  meet  the  man  who 
ministered  to  me  in  my  dire  necessity." 

At  last  the  South  Carolina  Railroad  was  reached.  Our 
men,  trained  to  the  laying  waste  of  railroads  in  Tennessee  and 
Alabama,  set  to  work  upon  the  long  lines  through  Georgia  with 
alacrity,  and  this  last  artery  of  communication  between  the  Gulf 
and  the  sea-coast  states  of  the  Confederacy  met  the  fate  of  the 
Charleston  and  Savannah  Road. 

Each  corps  had  its  badge,  worn  upon  the  cap  of  the  wearer. 
The  soldiers  were  very  much  in  the  habit  of  tracing  the  outlines 
of  their  emblems  upon  the  trunks  of  trees  by  the  wayside. 
This  habit  found  expression  of  poetic  character  here  in  the 
heart  of  the  Confederacy,  upon  the  railroad.  With  the  aid  of 
neighboring  trees  the  ponderous  iron  rails  were  shaped  into 
huge  letters  of  U  and   S.     With   bolts  and  spikes  these  were 


SHERMAN'S    CAMPAIGN   IN    THE    CAROLINAS        337 

fixed  and  firmly  nailed  upon  the  crossings,  and  left  for  the 
consideration  of  those  who  should  come  after.  Letters  pregnant 
with  meaning  to  this  misguided  state,  of  union  more  enduring 
than  the  iron  of  which  they  were  made,  of  prosperity  which 
should  follow  retribution,  of  peace  on  earth  and  good  will 
towards  men. 

Orangeburg  fell,  and  the  different  corps  concentrated,  until 
the  grand  army  invested  Columbia  ;  this  bold  movement  carried 
dismay  to  the  hearts  of  the  Confederate  leaders.  Augusta  was 
threatened  on  the  left.  Charleston  was  hastily  abandoned  lest 
a  sudden  swinging  of  our  forces  to  the  right  should  cut  off 
all  possible  means  of  escape.  In  the  front  Beauregard  and 
Hampton  retreated  from  the  devoted  city  towards  Charlotte  in 
North  Carolina. 

The  property  stored  here  was  of  untold  value.  Columbia 
had  been  considered  a  city  of  refuge  and  safety.  Here  gentle- 
men had  sent  their  works  of  art,  libraries  even,  and  more  valu- 
able articles  of  personal  property.  The  bank  vaults  were  filled 
with  boxes  of  jewelry  and  plate.  The  store  houses  were  over- 
flowing with  cotton,  munitions  of  war  and  provisions.  The 
Treasury  Depot  of  the  Confederate  States  here  printed  its 
multitudinous  promises  to  pay,  with  proper  foresight  based  upon 
one  condition,  —  "two  years  after  ratification  of  the  treaty  of 
peace  with  the  United  States  of  America." 

Hampton  in  his  retreat  had  ordered  all  cotton  to  be  burned. 
Long  lines  of  burning  bales  filled  the  streets.  Generals  Sher- 
man and  Howard  were  among  the  first  to  enter  the  city.  A 
scene  of  confusion  surrounded  them  ;  cotton,  household  property 
of  all  kinds  strewed  the  streets.  Crowds  of  colored  men,  women 
and  children  awaited  their  approach  with  respectful  attention. 
When  asked  if  they  were  not  afraid  of  the  Yankees,  they 
replied  :  "  Lors,  no,  massa,  we  knowed  yous  coming.  We's 
prayed  de  good  Lord  dis  long  time  fur  yous,  and  we  t'anks  him 
dat  Mister  Sherman  an'  his  company  is  here  sure  enuff  ! " 

Our   forces  were    encamped   outside  the  city,   excepting   a 


338  CIVIL  WAR   PAPERS 

brigade  which  performed  guard  duty  within  its  precincts.  Night 
fell  quietly  over  Columbia,  a  city  noted  for  its  broad  avenues, 
the  regularity  of  its  streets,  its  wealth  of  shade,  its  splendid 
mansions  and  beautiful  gardens.  There  was  no  warning  of  the 
desolation  coming  on  the  morrow.  A  strong  wind  fanned  to 
flame  the  embers  strewing  the  streets,  and  bore  here  and  there 
flakes  of  burning  cotton.  Flames  shot  forth  from  an  hundred 
places,  aided  doubtless  in  some  instances  by  wanton  hands. 

The  black  smoke  rolled  up  in  dense  volumes  upon  the  mid- 
night air,  shutting  in  the  heavens  and  spreading  its  sable  wings 
like  a  funeral  pall  over  the  doomed  city.  The  lurid  flames,  like 
the  tongues  of  mammoth  serpents,  shot  out  from  side  to  side, 
leaping  from  house  to  house  and  square  to  square,  crossing 
streets,  gaining  volume  and  impetuosity  at  every  moment,  driving 
helpless  before  them  a  fleeing,  terror  stricken,  half  clad  popula- 
tion of  women  and  children. 

Crowds,  too,  of  the  sable  sons  and  daughters  of  toil  were 
hurrying  this  way  and  that,  carrying  large  bundles,  precious 
freight  for  massa  or  mistress  or  self.  Some  gathered  at  the 
street  corners  with  wonderment,  awe  and  amazement  portrayed 
upon  every  feature,  listening  to  the  crash  of  falling  buildings, 
the  crackle  and  roar  of  devouring  elements.  Others,  with 
prayerful  attitude  and  upturned  countenance,  were  invoking  the 
blessing  of  heaven,  as  if  they  thought  the  day  of  judgment  had 
come.  The  sharp  voice  of  command  rang  through  the  streets. 
Soldiers  by  platoons  and  companies  hurried  this  way  and  that, 
restoring  order,  preventing  rapine  and  plunder,  rescuing  life  and 
property,  doing  all  that  could  be  done  to  stay  the  spreading 
destruction. 

Generals  Sherman  and  Howard  and  a  host  of  others  worked 
the  night  long  and  did  all  that  men  could  do,  to  lessen  the 
terrible  scourge,  and  when  morning  came,  aided  the  destitute, 
fed  the  hungry  from  the  soldiers'  scanty  store,  and  provided  for 
the  suffering. 

A  discussion  has  since  arisen  as  to  who  was  responsible  for 


SHERMAN'S   CAMPAIGN    IN   THE    CAROLINAS         339 

the  burning  of  Columbia,  Hampton  claiming  it  to  be  the 
wanton  act  of  a  vandal  soldiery ;  but  Sherman  has  shown,  and 
we  think  beyond  controversy,  that  the  responsibility  of  the  city's 
destruction  rests  with  its  own  would-be  defenders  in  their  hasty 
attempt  to  burn  the  immense  quantity  of  cotton  stored  there, 
lest  it  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Yankees. 

The  uneasiness  and  dread  which  came  over  the  inhabitants 
of  South  Carolina  as  Georgia  opened  a  highway  for  its  con- 
queror when  Sherman  marched  down  to  the  sea,  had  been  hang- 
ing over  their  heads  during  all  these  weeks  of  preparation  and 
march.  The  destruction  of  Columbia  capped  the  climax  and 
confirmed  belief  in  the  wildest  stories  of  ravage,  rapine,  lust  and 
blood.  The  horrible  tales  of  Yankees  so  often  told  to  frighten 
the  slaves,  were  at  last  believed  by  the  master,  and  the  dis- 
ordered imagination  of  their  heated  and  terror  stricken  brains 
could  picture  nothing  more  frightful  than  to  fall  into  our  hands. 

And  thus  by  a  series  of  natural  causes  and  their  effects,  the 
state  which  had  earliest,  loudest  and  longest  clamored  for  heroic 
defence,  for  blood,  for  the  raising  of  the  black  flag,  for  a  grand 
rally  in  the  "last  ditch,"  as  the  tide  of  war  swept  through  other 
states,  now  when  called  upon  to  be  the  martyr  to  its  own  prin- 
ciples, made  the  least  honorable,  the  most  ignoble  and  pusillani- 
mous show  of  defence  seen  within  the  limits  of  the  Southern 
Confederacy. 

Far  and  wide  a  very  general,  almost  universal  flight,  even 
of  women  and  children,  preceded  our  approach.  Hiding  of 
articles  of  value  had  usually  occurred,  and  door-yard,  garden 
and  cellar  were  the  most  common  places  of  secretion.  I  have 
spoken  of  this  wide-spread  panic  especially  to  explain  that 
anomaly  of  these  campaigns  of  which  you  have  all  heard  much, 
the  bummers. 

The  origin  of  this  nickname  is  unknown.  No  English 
dictionary  contains  it,  only  the  bummers  themselves  knew 
exactly  what  it  meant,  except,  perhaps,  inferentially.  Probably 
the  word  originated  among  themselves,  certainly  they  were  not 


340  CIVIL   WAR    PAPERS 

ashamed  of  it.  In  campaigns  like  those  in  Virginia  or  in 
northern  Georgia,  thickly  strewn  with  danger,  soldiers  stick 
close  to  the  main  line  of  march.  But  in  Georgia,  and  especially 
in  South  Carolina,  the  veterans  had  learned  to  consider  the 
danger  just  enough  to  give  zest  to  personal  adventure,  and 
prompted  by  its  spirit,  many  brave  fellows  tired  of  the  march, 
of  roll  call  and  the  sameness  of  regimental  life,  temporarily 
deserted  the  ranks,  and  banding  together  in  small  companies  for 
defence,  for  days  and  weeks  together  went  roaming  whither 
they  would,  keeping  in  the  same  general  direction,  but  far  in 
advance  of  the  main  body.  These  bummers  were  usually 
stragglers  from  the  infantry,  but  they  became  cavalry  of  the 
most  unique  and  grotesque  sort.  The  great,  cardinal,  charac- 
teristic, distinguishing  feature  of  the  bummer  was  that  he 
believed  it  the  first  and  last  maxim  of  war  to  live  off  the  enemy's 
resources,  and  judged  from  this  standpoint  he  never  was  remiss 
in  his  duty.  Horse  and  rider  were  frequently  seen  bedecked  in 
the  most  independent,  unmilitary,  Don  Quixote  style  imaginable. 
He  had  no  distaste  for  the  uniform  he  wore,  but  a  strange  long- 
ing for  citizen's  dress  not  infrequently  cropped  out  in  the 
donning  of  some  huge,  old-fashioned  bell-crowned  hat,  long- 
tailed  surtout  and  other  fixings  of  olden  style  which  his  inves- 
tigating spirit  had  discovered.  His  Rosinante,  sometimes  a 
blooded  horse  that  a  general  might  be  proud  of,  sometimes  a 
broken  down,  wheezing  old  nag  that  gave  you  pain  to  see 
ridden,  but  oftener  the  patient,  ever-ready  mule,  was  bedecked 
as  his  favorite,  with  female  adornments,  and  softer  goods  than 
a  government  blanket  served  as  a  saddle-cloth.  His  gastro- 
nomic propensities  were  simply  enormous  ;  chickens,  turkeys 
and  pigs,  honey,  butter  and  eggs,  sweetmeats,  preserves  and 
wines,  all  found  their  way  to  stomachs  as  ignorant  of  dyspepsia 
as  the  consciences  of  their  owners  to  confession.  The  bummers 
had  a  strong  liking  for  watches,  jewelry  and  money,  in  the  find- 
ing of  which  some  became  very  dexterous.  A  new  made  garden 
or   spaded   patch  was    sure  to  attract   the  attention  of  these 


SHERMAN'S    CAMPAIGN    IN    THE    CAROLINAS         341 

military  agriculturists,  and  almost  every  inch  was  probed  by 
ramrod,  poked  by  bayonet,  or  pierced  by  sabre,  and  when  some 
lucky  digger  found  a  vein,  the  spade  was  brought  into  speedy 
requisition  and  hopeless  and  irretrievable  confiscation  followed. 
Our  experience  was  replete  with  personal  incidents  in  connec- 
tion with  these  good-natured  vagabonds.  Governor  Aitken  of 
South  Carolina  sent  to  the  up  country  for  safety  a  beautiful 
silver  service  which  cost  six  thousand  pounds  sterling.  It  fell 
into  the  track  of  Sherman's  raiders,  and  the  only  piece  the 
Governor  ever  again  secured  was  an  elegant  silver  waiter  which 
was  found  in  the  hands  of  a  plantation  darkey,  who,  with  an 
eye  to  the  practical,  was  using  it  as  a  frying-pan  for  cooking  his 
bacon. 

One  evening  I  set  out  to  look  for  a  missing  brigade  and  took 
a  cross  road  through  the  woods,  of  course  unknown  to  me. 
Unattended  I  rode  cheerfully  on  in  the  darkness  for  several 
miles.  As  I  reached  a  fork  in  the  roads,  a  noise  sufficiently 
loud  to  mark  the  coming  of  the  looked-for  troops  was  heard. 
As  they  neared  me,  sounds  of  hilarious  singing  and  boisterous 
laughing  were  prominent.  A  half  dozen  of  the  ever  ready  rifles 
glistened  in  the  dim  light  as  their  owners  in  the  advance  caught 
sight  of  me,  and  in  the  most  soldierly  manner  they  called  out  : 
"  Halt,  or  I  will  fire  ! "  I  upbraided  them  for  their  unmilitary 
conduct,  and  the  coolest  of  "Who  cares  for  you  ?"  was  given 
me  in  reply.  When  at  length  I  was  recognized,  I  heard  this 
story  from  one  of  the  soberest.  The  little  party  had  found 
buried  a  quantity  of  fine  old  wines.  They  acknowledged  they 
were  jolly,  but  excused  their  condition  because  there  happened 
to  be  some  brandy  in  the  cases,  and  unfortunately  they  had 
been  drinking  mixed  liquors.  They  had  vied  with  each  other 
to  see  which  could  carry  to  camp  the  greatest  quantity,  but 
like  many  another  unfortunate  they  had  stowed  it  inside  instead 
of  outside,  and  the  poor  fellows  were  struggling  under  burdens 
which  they  would  be  unable  to  carry  much  longer.  With 
generous  thought  for  their  comrades,  however,  they  had  packed 


342  CIVIL   WAR    PAPERS 

the  bottles  they  could  not  drink  into  a  carriage  and  harnessed 
in  a  lot  of  plantation  slaves,  and  thus  in  triumph  were  marching' 
to  camp.  A  bountiful  supply  was  offered  me  with  a  "  Now 
don't  report  us  at  headquarters,"  and  by  a  less  premature 
method  of  stowage  I  disposed  of  more  than  my  comrades  and 
rode  away.  I  did  report  the  coming  of  the  colored  men  with 
their  carriage  of  precious  freight,  but  when  an  aide  was  dis- 
patched for  its  contents,  only  a  buggy  was  found  with  a  broken 
bottle  to  testify  to  the  truth  of  my  story. 

As  I  have  said,  the  bummers  were  always  in  the  advance, 
and  as  ready  for  fight  as  for  plunder.  As  our  forces  neared 
North  Carolina,  General  Sherman  learned  that  over  one  of  the 
rivers  in  his  front  there  was  a  long  bridge,  which  if  burned  by 
the  enemy  according  to  their  usual  custom,  would  delay  the 
army  and  disarrange  important  strategic  movements.  He  sent 
for  Kilpatrick,  and  consulted  with  him  as  to  the  best  manner 
of  securing  it.  At  the  head  of  his  cavalry  Kilpatrick  made  a 
long  and  forced  march.  As  he  neared  the  bridge,  a  strange 
figure,  mounted  on  an  old  horse,  with  rope  stirrups,  came  tearing 
down  the  road,  swinging  his  hat  and  shouting  at  the  top  of 
his  voice,  "  Come  on,  Kil,  we've  taken  the  bridge  and  we'll 
hold  it  until  you  can  support  us."  Sure  enough,  they  had 
captured  the  bridge,  formed  in  line  of  battle,  and  were  vigor- 
ously driving  the  enemy.  The  bummers  had  accomplished 
that  which  had  cost  the  generals  much  anxiety,  and  the  cavalry 
a  night's  march. 

There  is  a  comic  side  to  many  of  the  stories  of  these  adven- 
turers. A  gentleman  of  much  prominence  whom  I  met  in 
Charleston  after  its  fall  and  the  cessation  of  hostilities,  told  me 
his  experience  in  illustration  of  the  indignities  to  which  he  had 
been  subjected.  A  colored  soldier  came  up  to  his  beautiful  resi- 
dence, and,  meeting  him  at  the  door,  asked  for  something  to 
eat.  The  gentleman  refused,  whereupon  he  started  for  the 
kitchen  for  personal  investigation.  The  proprietor  soon  fol- 
lowed.    The  soldier  was  master  of  the  situation.      He  had  laid 


SHERMAN'S    CAMPAIGN    IN    THE    CAROLINAS         343 

aside  knapsack  and  rifle,  was  playing  with  the  little  colored 
"  Pickaninies  "  and  delighting  a  group  of  the  servants  with  tales 
of  his  adventures,  for  a  colored  soldier  was  a  novel  sight  to  them. 
The  master  was  a  drawback  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  occasion. 
Not  liking  such  close  scrutiny,  our  hero  exclaimed,  "  See  here, 
sah,  de  Gineral  want  to  see  you  at  headquarters."  Fearing  for 
the  safety  of  his  property,  and  not  daring  to  disobey,  away  went 
the  gentleman  and  found  the  general  after  two  hours  of  search, 
only  to  learn  that  he  was  the  dupe  of  his  colored  visitor,  who 
had  found  his  presence  disagreeable. 

Officers'  servants  liked  to  play  the  part  of  bummers,  as 
doubtless  many  of  you  know.  I  remember  suddenly  missing 
one  who  attended  me  upon  a  cavalry  scout  one  day.  The 
enemy  was  about,  and  we  feared  his  capture.  Before  nightfall 
there  loomed  up  in  the  distance  behind  us  a  queer,  nondescript 
looking  figure,  coming  at  a  rapid  pace.  As  he  neared  us  he 
proved  to  be  the  lost  attendant.  Beside  the  ordinary  decking 
of  turkeys,  chickens,  etc.,  he  had  taken  the  queer  fancy  to  pre- 
sent me  with  a  feather  bed,  and  had  thrown  it  over  his  saddle 
and  sat  astride  of  it  as  proud  as  a  Roman  conqueror. 

Everywhere  the  negroes  hailed  our  coming  with  delight,  and 
at  a  moment's  notice  were  prepared  to  fall  in  and  leave  their 
place  of  nativity,  known  to  them  by  none  of  those  endearing 
associations  which  cluster  around  the  sacred  name  of  home. 
To  them  it  was  a  synonym  of  task,  compulsion,  tyranny  and 
fear.  When  asked  where  they  were  going  they  would  not  un- 
frequently,  cheerfully  reply :  "  Don't  know,  we's  goin'  wheres 
youse  goin',  massa."  The  women  and  children,  who  could  not 
be  allowed  to  encumber  and  delay  the  trains,  were  sadly  dis- 
appointed, but  showed  their  confidence  and  hope  by  being  easily 
satisfied  with  the  promise  that  next  time  we  would  take  them 
too.  These  colored  men  were  no  hindrance,  but  often  of  great 
value  to  us.  They  could  always  be  trusted,  they  were  invaluable 
as  guides,  proved  the  best  of  foragers,  were  ever  ready  to  tell 
where  "  Massa  "  had  hidden  his  horses,  mules  or  provisions,  and 


344  CIVIL   WAR    PAPERS 

not  infrequently  suggested  to  the  inquisitive  soldiers  which  part 
of  the  yard  was  best  to  experiment  upon  with  ramrod  or  sabre. 

I  call  to  mind  one  notable  exception.  A  fine  looking  negro 
of  forty  was  true  to  his  master.  He  buried  and  saved  $30,000 
worth  of  silver  plate  and  many  other  valuables.  He  was  prom- 
ised by  his  former  owner,  who  was  his  half  brother,  a  farm  from 
his  thousands  of  acres,  but  two  years  later,  lured  by  the  expected 
fulfillment,  the  faithful  fellow  was  still  with  his  master,  trying 
to  feed  a  large  family  on  the  munificent  recompense  of  eight 
dollars  per  month,  paid  him  by  this  signer  of  the  ordinance  of 
secession. 

One  day  I  met  a  colored  man,  a  near  relative  of  his  owner, 
who  presented  me  with  a  gun  and  a  pair  of  pistols.  Equipped 
with  these  arms,  under  the  direction  of  his  master,  whose  press- 
ing engagements  just  then  called  him  to  another  part  of  the 
state,  he  had  taken  charge  of  a  train  of  loaded  wagons  and 
choice  slaves,  and  in  company  with  a  retreating  Confederate 
battery  was  to  find  safety  from  the  Yankees  in  the  up  country. 
For  a  while  he  followed  the  soldiers,  but  ruminating  upon  the 
chances  of  escape,  he  concluded  it  was  better  to  return  to  the 
plantation.  So  he  told  the  lieutenant  that  "  Massa  "  had  given 
him  particular  instruction  to  take  good  care  of  the  mules,  and 
he  must  feed  them  !  The  lieutenant  replied  that  the  Yankees 
would  catch  him  if  he  stopped.  "  Leave  me  alone  fur  dat,  sah, 
—  I  am'  gwine  ter  stop  long,"  was  his  reply,  and  sure  enough, 
he  did  not,  for  when  the  retreating  soldiers  were  out  of  sight, 
he  at  once  moved  in  the  opposite  direction  and  brought  up 
safely  in  our  lines. 

Columbia  proved  the  key  of  the  enemy's  position,  and  the 
mistake  was  in  the  Confederates  not  concentrating  in  its  de- 
fence, instead  of  dividing  their  forces  in  covering  Augusta, 
Columbia  and  Charleston.  This  last  place,  as  we  have  seen, 
had  to  be  evacuated,  and  the  first  ceased  to  be  of  value.  We 
still  see  the  strategic  ability  of  General  Sherman,  and  his  success 
in  deceiving  the  enemy. 


SHERMAN'S    CAMPAIGN    IN    THE    CAROLINAS         345 

From  Columbia,  the  army  moved  by  different  roads  to  Mins- 
boro',  demonstrating  on  Charlotte  as  if  to  march  through  the  up 
hill  country  into  Virginia.  By  this  movement  the  enemy  was 
well  drawn  to  the  left,  away  from  our  front,  and  a  sudden  turn 
to  the  right  caused  Cheraw,  almost  on  the  border  of  North 
Carolina,  to  fall,  an  easy  prey  to  our  arms.  Here  were  found 
immense  stores,  hurriedly  forwarded  from  Charleston  before  its 
evacuation.  Provisions  of  all  sorts  were  ready  at  hand  to  fill 
our  long  trains.  Thirty-six  hundred  barrels  of  powder,  Blakely 
rifled  guns  sent  by  blockade  runners  from  English  friends,  and 
other  munitions  of  war  fell  into  our  hands.  Here,  as  at  Colum- 
bia, quantities  of  plate  and  other  valuables  were  stored.  Thou- 
sands of  bottles  of  choice  old  wine  were  discovered,  and  many  a 
bumper  filled  to  overflowing  was  drunk  in  honor  of  the  inaugura- 
tion of  President  Lincoln  for  his  second  term  of  office,  a  marked 
contrast  to  the  state  of  things  four  years  previously,  when  in 
South  Carolina,  no  gun  was  fired  nor  wine  drunk,  save  to  pledge 
the  overthrow  of  both  President  and  Government.  The  glorifi- 
cation, even  if  a  little  excessive,  went  to  make  up  for  the  defi- 
ciency. 

The  insane  fear  which  fell  upon  the  inhabitants  at  our  ap- 
proach was  illustrated  by  a  lady  of  education  and  refinement, 
who  told  me  that  she  had  sent  her  son,  a  lad  of  twelve  years, 
with  his  father  who  retreated  with  the  Confederate  army,  for 
she  thought  we  would  take  him  prisoner  of  war.  No  doubt  our 
soldiers  were  guilty  of  unjustifiable  acts;  —  dwelling  houses 
were  burned  ;  but  they  had  always  been  deserted  by  their  mas- 
ters, and  I  have  yet  to  learn  of  a  single  instance  where  injury  or 
outrage  was  committed  upon  women  or  children.  In  some  way 
the  most  ignorant  of  plantation  slaves  had  learned  that  their 
freedom  was  secured  by  our  approach.  One  day  in  company 
with  several  officers  I  visited  a  large  plantation  miles  from  our 
line  of  march.  It  was  a  beautiful  place.  The  mother,  grown 
up  daughters,  sons'  wives,  numbered  eight,  including  the  daugh- 
ter of   an  Episcopal   Bishop  from   New  Jersey,  who  had  been 


346  CIVIL   WAR    PAPERS 

shut  out  from  home  all  these  years  of  war.  Several  of  the 
young  ladies  were  very  pretty,  and  I  confess  that  as  we  sat  in 
the  drawing  room,  we  were  guilty  of  saying  gallant  things  in  a 
pleasant  way,  and  in  an  unfortunate  moment,  conquered  by 
their  smiles,  were  weak  enough  to  accept  an  invitation  to  dinner. 
Our  hostess,  as  she  thought,  and  she  reasoned  well,  had  made 
an  impression  upon  us.  She  spoke  of  her  slaves,  said  that 
lately  she  had  lost  the  power  of  control  over  them,  in  fact,  they 
had  refused  to  work,  and  her  driver  and  herself  had  utterly 
failed  to  govern  them.  Turning  to  me,  she  asked  in  woman's 
pleasantest  manner,  if  I  would  not  be  kind  enough  to  talk  with 
them  and  tell  them  of  their  duties,  saying  that  coming  from  an 
United  States  officer,  it  would  have  great  influence.  Could  I 
do  less  than  consent  ?  A  messenger  was  dispatched  to  the 
quarters,  and  soon  I  was  notified  that  my  audience  was  all 
ready.  As  I  came  out  upon  the  veranda,  I  was  welcomed  by  a 
gathering  that  quite  surprised  me.  It  was  a  motley  crowd  of 
about  two  hundred  men  and  women,  arrayed  in  the  most  gro- 
tesque costumes.  There  were  pants  of  carpets,  coats  of  quilts, 
and  garments  of  many  colors.  But  through  all,  in  huge  rents, 
armless  coats  and  tattered  dresses,  were  to  be  seen  the  patches 
of  native  color.  With  bared  heads  and  shoeless  feet  they  stood 
shivering  in  the  winter  wind.  To  my  chagrin,  our  hostess  and 
her  fair  daughters,  accompanied  by  my  brother  officers,  came 
out  to  hear  what  I  had  to  say,  and  formed  the  background  to 
the  picture.  It  was  a  difficult  audience  to  please,  but  then  as 
now,  having  a  strong  desire  to  be  a  popular  man,  I  went  in  for 
pleasing  the  largest  number,  and  as  I  expatiated  upon  human 
rights,  freedom  under  the  old  flag,  and  the  inalienable  right  to 
the  fruit  of  one's  labor,  I  succeeded  in  bringing  down  the 
house.  Frowns  and  scowls  sadly  disfigured  the  fair  features  of 
the  ladies  behind  me. 

But  the  bright  eyes  of  my  listeners  in  front  told  me  that  I 
had  hit  the  mark ;  murmurs  of  applause  and  "  Dat  so,  Massa," 
ran  through  the  crowd,  and  when  I  told  them  of  Massa  Lincoln 


SHERMAN'S    CAMPAIGN    IN    THE    CAROLINAS        347 

and  his  proclamation,  they  tearfully  replied,  "  We  knows  dat  be 
true." 

Turning  to  the  lady,  I  could  not  help  dryly  remarking, 
"  Madam,  I  think  you  will  have  no  further  trouble  with  your 
slaves ! " 

The  greatest  enemy  which  opposed  our  progress  was  found 
in  the  long  continued  heavy  rains.  Rain  fell  in  torrents  for 
days  together.  Small  creeks  were  swollen  to  rivers  of  con- 
siderable magnitude.  The  long  trains  and  thousands  of  animals 
cut  the  roads  into  a  quagmire  of  mud.  A  wheel  would  suddenly 
sink  in  the  quicksand.  All  efforts  to  pull  it  out  only  served  to 
bury  the  animals  still  deeper.  The  driver  soon  learned  that  his 
occupation  of  whipping  and  swearing  was  useless,  so  he  would 
dismount.  The  trainguard  would  come  to  the  rescue.  A  dozen 
work  with  shoulders  at  the  wheels  and  body,  and  finally  the 
wagon  would  be  to  hard  ground.  The  road  must  be  corduroyed. 
With  jest  and  joke,  the  men  seized  the  fence  rails  or,  wading 
into  the  neighboring  swamp,  cut  and  split  the  trees,  and  soon 
bridged  over  the  impassable  morass. 

The  1 2th  of  March  saw  the  taking  of  Fayetteville,  but  not 
without  opposition.  As  at  Cheraw,  the  capture  was  of  much 
greater  importance  than  at  first  supposed.  The  magnificent 
arsenal  which  our  Government  built,  contained  millions  of  dollars' 
worth  of  machinery,  materials  and  munitions  of  war.  The  Con- 
federates tried  to  move  the  most  valuable  part,  but  it  was  too 
bulky  for  easy  transportation,  and  our  advance  was  so  rapid  that 
there  was  scarcely  time  for  personal  escape.  All  was  left  one 
mass  of  ruins. 

General  Johnston  had  at  last  collected  the  scattered  frag- 
ments of  the  Confederate  army  from  Charleston,  Wilmington 
and  Augusta,  the  remnants  of  Hood's  old  army  of  the  Tennessee, 
all  that  could  be  spared  from  Virginia,  all  the  detachments  that 
were  scattered  through  North  and  South  Carolina,  until  a 
formidable  force,  in  numbers  at  least,  was  in  front.  But  they 
lacked  the  spirit  which  had  characterized  the  enemy  on  other 
fields,  for  they  now  believed  that  their  cause  was  hopeless. 


34§  CIVIL   WAR    PAPERS 

Johnston  had  watched  our  long  lines  of  march,  our  scattered 
trains,  and  deemed  it  possible  to  strike  the  flank,  roll  its  dis- 
organized masses  back  upon  our  centre  before  the  reserves  could 
be  brought  up  for  support,  and  thus  at  this  last  moment  wring 
victory  from  the  jaws  of  Fate,  and  give  renewed  hope  to  the 
cause  now  well  nigh  lost.  His  men  fell  upon  the  veteran  ranks 
with  the  desperation  of  despair,  but  these  heroes  of  a  hundred 
battles  were  never  caught  napping.  A  wall  of  steel  and  fire 
arrested  the  rebel  columns,  which  advanced  only  to  destruction. 
Brigades  and  divisions  came  on  to  the  support  of  our  over- 
matched battalions.     Not  a  foot  was  lost,  not  a  man  wavered. 

The  morning  found  us  in  undisputed  possession  of  the  field, 
covered  with  the  enemy's  dead  and  wounded.  This  battle  of 
Averysboro'  was  followed  by  fighting  on  the  20th  and  2 1  st  at 
Bentonville  with  like  result,  and  the  grand  old  army,  heroes 
of  Chattanooga,  Chickamauga,  Altoona,  Lookout  Mountain  and 
Atlanta,  who  had  taken  the  Boston,  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore 
of  the  Confederacy  ;  whose  delight  had  been  in  visiting  the 
capitals  of  rebellious  states;  who  had  trodden  two  thousand 
miles  through  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  Confederacy,  —  had 
now  fired  its  last  shot  and  fought  its  last  battle.  Its  crowning 
and  highest  glory  was  the  surrender  of  its  brave  enemy. 

Dear  old  army  !  Its  mission  is  ended  !  Its  flags  are  furled  ! 
Its  tents  struck,  its  comrades  scattered  in  the  quiet  pursuits  of 
peace,  but  its  lessons  remain  and  its  glory  is  written  in  history, 
to  the  Nation's  honor. 


00032727381 

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THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  COLLECTION 


